On a typical day, Rev. Dana Bainbridge recalls Winston — a beloved member of the Urban Sanctuary spiritual community — waving or calling her name when he saw her.

He would sing, clap and sometimes play the tambourine, bringing much joy to others, Bainbridge told the San Jose City Council.

But last week, Winston had a rough mental health day, prompting the church to try to contact the (TRUST) — a team of health professionals and support advocates for nonviolent psychiatric emergencies — and then, when unsuccessful, to call 911 for a welfare check.

Trusted Response Urgent Support Team

“What we got was a daunting number of police cars, nine uniforms standing over Winston, cuffing him,” Bainbridge said.

She thought back to lessons her father taught her about selecting the right tool for the job when fixing things — a lesson some San Jose residents can relate to, and why they are imploring the city to expand non-police alternatives for crises — because otherwise “you could do more damage if you use the wrong tool.”

For the past year, the city has explored options for increasing access to , recognizing that police are not always the best option for the calls emergency personnel receive.

alternative response and co-response programs

San Jose faced scrutiny for how it responds to after an investigation by the Bay Area News Group, KQED and the California Reporting Project found that people suffering from mental health issues were involved in nearly three-quarters of the San Jose Police Department’s use-of-force incidents, including 80% of killings, over a decade.